Free amino acids, including canavanine, in the seeds from 32 Vicia species belonging to subgenus Vicilla

The free amino acid composition of the seeds from 32 Vicia species has been determined. Free amino acids ranged from 0.25 g/100 g flour in V. onobrychioides to 3.94 g/100 g flour in V. incana. Canavanine and metabolically related amino acids were the most abundant. Canavanine by itself was the most abundant in many species, especially those belonging to sections Cracca and Panduratae. Section Cracca includes the species with the highest contents in canavanine, going from as low as 0.09 g/100 g flour in V. sicula to as much as 3.27 g/100 g flour in V. incana. Our results show that several Vicia species are very rich in canavanine and may represent a source of this amino acid for functional applications.